Shawarmas are now as easy to get as hotdogs. But you have to admit that there is a different kind of fascination in watching that huge mass of meat slowly turning on a rotating spit with a grill behind it, as your server shaves off fine slices of meat for you.

Shawarmas are just as filling as hamburgers, and they have the added advantage of variety. You can have shawarmas made of chicken, lamb, beef, or veal; and each one tastes as good as the other. What’s more, instead of the ubiquitous bun, you get your meat in a warm pita.

Origins of the Shawarma

In Gulf News’ Shawarma: Arabic Fast Food,Mohammed N. Al Khan quotes Chef Ahmad Salaibi, Head Chef of the Automatic Restaurant at the Beach Centre in Jumeirah. Salaibi says, “Shawarma is the Arabic fast food. The original shawarma recipe is Turkish and known as the Iskandar shawarma,” says Salaibi…”[Read more…]